Obituary, Wayne Shorter (1933-2023)

Photo by Luciano Viti

Wayne Shorter, the American saxophonist who made his name as a formidable player in some of the highest-profile jazz groups as well as an accomplished composer and solo artist, has died aged 89. Born in Newark, New Jersey and encouraged by his father from a young age to pick up the clarinet, Shorter’s trajectory was firmly set on music from the get-go; he earned his degree in music education from New York University in 1956 and served briefly in the U.S. Army afterwards, during which time he played with Horace Silver. Originally gaining attention for his fluency on the tenor saxophone, he later switched primarily to the soprano to equally celebrated results, regularly topping the DownBeat readers’ poll for his instrument.

Shorter first came to prominence in jazz towards the end of the 1950s as a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, his original works eventually leading him to become the main composer of the group. He was later recruited into Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet in the 1960s, and you can hear him on albums like E.S.P., Miles in the Sky and Miles Smiles, the latter of which was half-comprised of Shorter tunes. Many of his compositions from this time would go on to become jazz standards, like ‘Speak No Evil’ (from the saxophonist’s own 1965 record of the same name) and ‘Footprints’, which features on both Miles Smiles and Shorter’s own album Adam’s Apple. Close friend and collaborator Herbie Hancock once remarked; “Wayne was one of the few people who brought music to Miles that didn’t get changed.”

Photo by David Redfern

Even following the Second Quintet’s disbandment Shorter continued to play with Davis, including on his Fusion Era albums Bitches Brew and In a Silent Way. It was around this time that Shorter founded the similarly prestigious jazz fusion group Weather Report with fellow Davis veteran keyboardist Joe Zawinul and bassist Miroslav Vitous; the line-up of Weather Report would feature numerous high-profile jazz musicians over the years until the group’s disbandment in 1985. All the while Shorter maintained a solo recording career with many highlights throughout, from early records like 1964’s Speak No Evil and 1966’s Adam’s Apple to 1974’s Native Dancer and later albums like 1+1 (a duet album released with Herbie Hancock in 1997).

Shorter’s musical contributions weren’t just limited to jazz, though; he played on ten studio albums by Joni Mitchell between 1977 and 2002, contributed an extended saxophone solo to the 8-minute title track of Steely Dan’s album Aja, and you can even hear his soprano sax on The Rolling Stones’ ‘How Can I Stop’ from their album Bridges to Babylon (Charlie Watts was a lifelong jazzer, after all).

It’s impossible to understate Shorter’s effect on the course of 20th Century jazz, and his work didn’t go without recognition; he was a 12-time Grammy award winner and recipient of the Grammys’ ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award, as well as a lifetime achievement from the Hancock Institute of Jazz (then the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz). Herbie Hancock said of Shorter upon his passing; “Wayne Shorter, my best friend, left us with courage in his heart, love and compassion for all, and a seeking spirit for the eternal future. He was ready for his rebirth. As it is with every human being, he is irreplaceable.”

Have a listen to some of our favourite Wayne Shorter recordings...

Read our full review of Speak No Evil...

Read our full review of Heavy Weather...